August 3, 2006
SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS ARE PIXILS
Heavy Internet users called 'differently social' (Meagan Fitzpatrick, CanWest News Service, August 3rd, 2006)
Internet users spend less time with friends and family and doing outdoor activities than people who rarely log on, but don't assume they are anti-social, a new report suggests.The Statistics Canada study released yesterday used data from the 2005 General Social Survey that asked respondents to provide an account of all of their activities over a 24-hour period. The study looked at time spent online for personal use, separating it from time spent for work or education purposes in order to assess the social impacts of Internet use.
What it found was that heavy Internet users, those who log on for more than an hour a day for personal use, lead different lifestyles than moderate users, between five and 60 minutes, or non-users.
Heavy Internet users spend less time sleeping, relaxing and thinking, and they tend to be homebodies, the study said. They show less interest in outdoor activities and participating in sports, attending sporting or other events, going to the movies and engaging in volunteer work.[...]
So do the findings mean Internet users are all anti-social hermits? Not quite. They reported having social networks of similar size to non-users even though they spent less face time with others.
"While some individuals spending time on the Internet are alone in a physical sense, they may be interacting with other individuals online in various ways," the study said.
In other words, people may be communicating online with people in their social network via e-mail, Web cams and instant messaging. The study also indicates heavy Internet users are more likely to talk on the phone.
Those who spend a lot of time online aren't necessarily anti-social, they are "differently social," suggests the report.
Darn right. Why would anyone think that you are anti-social just because you like to argue about cars and Darwinism at 3:00 am?
er Peter, that's reasoned discourse about cars ...
Posted by: erp at August 3, 2006 10:46 AMNot that unreasonsed discourse is without amusement.
Posted by: Ed Bush at August 3, 2006 11:07 AMCough, cough, don't forget the evil weed.
Posted by: ed at August 3, 2006 1:26 PMIt's not an argument if you delete all the comments once...
Posted by: Pepys at August 3, 2006 2:17 PMHaving a very rare comment deleted is a small price to pay for being able at a click of a mouse to stride the Forum and the Agora, at will, on a daily basis.
Personally, I have other interests, and other acquaintances with whom to share thoughts and to debate current events, but I value the society, for that is what is it, which I find here.
We should be slow, then, to name "anti-social" sociabliity in a different form.
Posted by: Lou Gots at August 3, 2006 2:54 PMHere here Lou.
Posted by: erp at August 3, 2006 3:07 PMBut hasn't it been argued around here that the possible community is the one where all the people are trapped together because they don't have cars and are unable to "socialize" with anyone but their immediate, physical neighbors?
make that "best possible"
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at August 3, 2006 7:15 PMBefore getting married (in 1999) and then having two children, I was usually busy with church activities, church (and non-church) friends, and periodic travel for work.
Social stuff is more difficult now, and free time is focused on family almost exclusively. But I can visit here occasionally during the day, and ponder the posts in the evenings. It's a good thing. Of course, if people are commenting at length on 10 different websites a day, that's another story.
Posted by: jim hamlen at August 3, 2006 7:18 PMWhy would the report say that "Heavy Internet users spend less time [...] thinking" ?
After work and sleep, most Americans devote the majority of their remaining time to watching television, which brain-wave studies have shown to be less mentally taxing than reading anything.
Therefore, simply due to the medium, heavy Internet users are more mentally active than is the average American.
Further, if these heavy users are being socially active online, then they must be composing and typing messages or arguments, which is another step again in mental activity.
Posted by: Abner Hathaway at August 4, 2006 1:53 AMJim,
What's the "another story" on the people who have the time and want to make the effort to comment at length on 10 different websites a day?
Inquiring minds ...
Posted by: erp at August 4, 2006 8:45 AMerp:
Just some random thoughts:
If someone is commenting on 10 blogs a day, he/she should probably start his/her own.
If someone is commenting on 10 conservative blogs a day, wouldn't the flavor get stale?
One of the 'rules' at BJB is never let blogging (and I presume commenting) interfere with real life. Each of us has to define what 'real life' means (and all circumstances will be different), but I think we need to have sufficient personal contact to avoid turning into blogomaniacs (remember Bart?).
That said, I wish I could write more. But I limit commenting to just this site (it's the best, and the first one I found that I really liked). And I want to contribute something sensible, not just stir the froth. Otherwise OJ will one-line me to death. My ultimate goal is to deliver the perfect knock-out response someday, so that he closes off the thread in shame.
Plus, I learn so much more from reading the others who comment here. Some days I just have to keep my keyboard shut.
Posted by: jim hamlen at August 4, 2006 11:41 AMJim, Good luck on delivering the knock out comment that leaves any thought of refutation in the dust. The nice thing about the bros is that we take pleasure in each other's insights and well turned phrases.
Posted by: erp at August 4, 2006 5:59 PM